Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveyance apparatus separating and feeding a plurality of sheets supported by a support surface, an image recording apparatus provided with the conveyance apparatus, and a feed tray.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known an image recording apparatus provided with a sheet conveyance apparatus in which a plurality of sheets are supported by a support surface in a stacked state and which separates and feeds the topmost one sheet among the plurality of sheets. In such a sheet conveyance apparatus, conveyance direction of the sheets fed from the support surface by a feed unit such as a feed roller is changed by an inclined surface, and the front ends thereof are separated by separating member provided on the inclined surface.
The separating member includes, for example, a plurality of metallic projecting pieces which are aligned along the conveyance direction to project respectively from the inclined surface toward the support surface. As the sheets are fed in the conveyance direction, a part of the front end portions of the sheets is bent by abutting against the separating pieces, and passes over the separating pieces because of the intension of the sheets (that is, the resilience of the sheets). In this manner, due to the movement of a part of the front end portions of the sheets passing over the separating pieces, the front end portions of the sheets in the stacked state are separated. In particular, as the topmost sheet is in contact with the feed roller and being fed in the conveyance direction, it passes over the separating pieces and is conveyed further, whereas the underlaid sheets, which are attached to the topmost sheet due to friction force and the like and moved in the conveyance direction, are stopped by the separating pieces and thus cannot pass over the separating pieces.